Mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver works with her communications director Dujie Tahat on the finishing touches of her press release following her third place finish at the end of primary night, at Washington Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017. More ballots will be counted Wednesday morning, painting a clearer picture of which candidates continue on. less

Mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver works with her communications director Dujie Tahat on the finishing touches of her press release following her third place finish at the end of primary night, at Washington Hall ... more

Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM

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Nikkita Oliver supporters cheer as she gives her final speech of the night, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017.

Nikkita Oliver supporters cheer as she gives her final speech of the night, Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017.

Mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver readies for an interview following her watch party at Washington Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017.

Mayoral candidate Nikkita Oliver readies for an interview following her watch party at Washington Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 2017.

Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM

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Democratic Rep. Jessyn Farrell of Seattle speaks at a news conference before a hearing on a bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $12 an hour over the next four years. She was trailing in bid for Seattle mayor.

Democratic Rep. Jessyn Farrell of Seattle speaks at a news conference before a hearing on a bill to raise the state's minimum wage to $12 an hour over the next four years. She was trailing in bid for Seattle

Former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn sought to get his old job back. He bombed.

Former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn sought to get his old job back. He bombed.

Photo: Elaine Thompson/AP

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State senator Bob Hasegawa prepares to play the flute for the talent portion of the mayoral race "Candidate Survivor 2017" at Neumos on Tuesday, July 11, 2017.

State senator Bob Hasegawa prepares to play the flute for the talent portion of the mayoral race "Candidate Survivor 2017" at Neumos on Tuesday, July 11, 2017.

Photo: GRANT HINDSLEY, SEATTLEPI.COM

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Connelly: Durkan leading in race for Seattle mayor

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Former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan was far ahead of the pack as King County Elections did its first "dump" of primary election ballots, but the other finalist in the race for the seventh floor at City Hall was far from decided.

Durkan was taking 31.6 percent of the vote Tuesday night in the first of what will be daily dumps of returns.

She had a 2-to-1 lead over urban planner Cary Moon, narrowly in second place at 15.56 percent. Attorney/educator/Black Lives Matter activist Nikkita Oliver was in third place at 13.9 percent; ex-state Rep. Jessyn Farrrell was in fourth at 11.81 percent, with state Sen. Bob Hasegawa at 8.62 percent.

Running far behind among the "big six" candidates was former Mayor Mike McGinn at 7.16 percent. McGinn bombed in his comeback.

"This is so surreal," said a very happy Moon.

The results can and will change. Late, not-yet-counted votes have tended to support candidates of the left; witness socialist Kshama Sawant's come-from-behind 2013 win against City Council incumbent Richard Conlin.

Still, her campaign had a Hillary Clinton ambience to it, with a candidate who still needs to show idealism and passion beyond her undeniable legal skills.

Durkan sounded like Clinton in her primary night speech, although she evoked Barack Obama's famous mantra: "Fired up, ready to go."

"Seattle, as I said when I launched, has always been the city that invented the future: We will reinvent the future of America through the cities and I believe Seattle will lead," said Durkan.

The winner in November gets to tackle problems of America's fastest-growing city, a place that has added 100,000 residents since 2010. The boom shows no sign of abating, witness the 74 construction cranes in downtown Seattle -- and the tents of the homeless.

A total of 21 candidates filed to succeed incumbent Mayor Ed Murray, who dropped his bid for a second term when faced with allegations and a civil suit that he committed sexual assault in Oregon 31 years ago. Murray has strenuously denied the charges.

The contenders for his job have followed a variety of strategies.

Farrell left the Legislature to make her bid for the mayor's office. She is a former director of Transportation Choices, and in Olympia was a strong advocate for workplace rights and a higher minimum wage. Farrell has a base in northeast Seattle and among transportation advocates.

Durkan has run as a progressive who actually gets things done. She has cited copious work as a federal prosecutor on Seattle police reform, and carved out a niche as the candidate who will pay much more attention to how city government delivers its services.

She has been treated as a pariah and a threat by grandstanding, posturing voices of the Seattle left.

Beaten by Murray in 2013, ex-Mayor McGinn sought a comeback. He still boasted name recognition but showed little support among the city's left/liberal activists. A different McGinn was visible. Once a champion of big levies like Families and Education, and the Seattle seawall repair, he adopted a hold-down-taxes posture.

Hasegawa spent little money but focused on a driving ideal: He wants to create both a state bank and a Seattle city bank, arguing that this would be a source of money to meet the city's housing and homelessness crises.

Urban planner Moon, a foe of the Alaskan Way tunnel project, helped finance her campaign with $90,000 of family money.

Oliver proved a compelling presence on the campaign trail and drew small contributions to build a $125,000 war chest. She excelled in the election's one TV debate, arguing that Seattle cannot be whole until it includes those left out of the tech boom.

Endorsements proliferated. Amusingly, the staff at The Stranger split between Moon and Oliver. Moon was endorsed, but line reporters supported Oliver. Big Democratic organizations -- the 34th and 46th legislative districts -- endorsed both Farrell and Hasegawa.

It became impossible, late in the race, to read a Facebook page without being told repeatedly how to vote.

Slate making used to be a vehicle of big city Democratic political machines. Now it has arrived in "progressive" Seattle.

Columnist Joel Connelly has written about politics for the P-I since 1973.